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Around The Empire

Around the Empire podcast explores the massive apparatus of the American Empire. In-depth interviews, discussions. Hosted by Joanne Leon.
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Now displaying: September, 2018

Around the Empire podcast explores the massive apparatus of the American Empire. In-depth interviews, discussions. Hosted by Joanne Leon.

Sep 28, 2018

Friends of the show Kyle Anzalone and Will Porter join Joanne Leon for a special three-part series on the Rise and Fall of John Brennan, done in a roundtable format and released in three separate episodes in the coming week for our listeners or available in advance, in full for patrons.

Ep 71 The Rise and Fall of John Brennan - Part 3

Kyle Anzalone is the host of the Foreign Policy Focus podcast and the editor-in-chief of ImmersionNews.com. He also writes the Daily News Roundup at Libertarian Institute.

Will Porter is a freelance journalist with a focus on US foreign policy and conflicts abroad. His work can be found at the Libertarian Institute, Antiwar.com and Consortium News

In American political life, few officials have weathered as many storms as former CIA director John Brennan. With a career marred by a virtually endless series of scandals, Brennan’s ability to maneuver himself within institutions of power has served him exceptionally well both inside and outside of government.

Brennan’s decades-long tenure at the CIA presents a microcosmic portrait of US foreign policy since the fall of the Soviet Union—a true exemplar of the American role in a “unipolar” world.

His name has become synonymous with torture, regime change, targeted assassinations, drones, spying, the arming of foreign militias and now, in the era of Trump, politicized intelligence.

But that may have finally come to an end. The recent revocation of Brennan’s security clearance could represent the final nail in a coffin that, until now, has simply refused to stay shut.

Join us in this 3 part series reviewing Brennan’s career at the CIA, the litany of scandals tied to his name, as well as what could come next for the retired intelligence officer.

Support Kyle at  https://www.patreon.com/ForeignPolicyFocus. Support Will at patreon.com/WKPJournalist.

We are independent media and we rely on your contributions. Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire Donations: aroundtheempire.com.

FOLLOW @aroundtheempire. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, YouTube, Facebook.

This discussion was recorded in two sessions: August 24 and 31, 2018. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Reference Links:

  1. President Trump’s Claims of No Collusion are Hogwash, New York Times, John Brennan
  2. William H. McRaven: Revoke my security clearance, too, Mr. President, Washington Post
  3. Scores of ex-spies join in rebuking Trump over security clearances, Politico
  4. The Seven Deadly Sins of John Brennan, Micah Zenko, Foreign Policy
  5. Confront and Conceal (book), David Sanger
  6. Gates to National Security Team on Osama Raid: 'Shut the F--- Up', Daniel Halper, Weekly Standard
  7. Exclusive: Did White House "spin" tip a covert op?, Mark Hosenball, Reuters
  8. Who Bombed Khobar Towers? Anatomy of a Crooked Terrorism Investigation, Gareth Porter, Truthout
  9. Brennan-led secret raids may have led to Benghazi retaliation, book claims, FoxNews
  10. The media are misleading the public on Syria, Stephen Kinzer, Boston Globe
  11. US Special Forces sabotage White House policy gone disastrously wrong with covert ops in Syria, SOFREP, Jack Murphy
  12. Secret Kill List Tests Obama’s Principles New York Times, Jo Becker, Scott Shane
  13. A Spymaster Steps Out of the Shadows, New York Times Magazine, Mattathias Schwartz

 

Sep 27, 2018

Friends of the show Kyle Anzalone and Will Porter join Joanne Leon for a special three-part series on the Rise and Fall of John Brennan, done in a roundtable format and released in three separate episodes in the coming week for our listeners or available in advance, in full for patrons.

Ep 70 The Rise and Fall of John Brennan - Part 2

Kyle Anzalone is the host of the Foreign Policy Focus podcast and the editor-in-chief of ImmersionNews.com. He also writes the Daily News Roundup at Libertarian Institute.

Will Porter is a freelance journalist with a focus on US foreign policy and conflicts abroad. His work can be found at the Libertarian Institute, Antiwar.com and Consortium News

In American political life, few officials have weathered as many storms as former CIA director John Brennan. With a career marred by a virtually endless series of scandals, Brennan’s ability to maneuver himself within institutions of power has served him exceptionally well both inside and outside of government.

Brennan’s decades-long tenure at the CIA presents a microcosmic portrait of US foreign policy since the fall of the Soviet Union—a true exemplar of the American role in a “unipolar” world.

His name has become synonymous with torture, regime change, targeted assassinations, drones, spying, the arming of foreign militias and now, in the era of Trump, politicized intelligence.

But that may have finally come to an end. The recent revocation of Brennan’s security clearance could represent the final nail in a coffin that, until now, has simply refused to stay shut.

Join us in this 3 part series reviewing Brennan’s career at the CIA, the litany of scandals tied to his name, as well as what could come next for the retired intelligence officer.

Support Kyle at  https://www.patreon.com/ForeignPolicyFocus. Support Will at patreon.com/WKPJournalist.

We are independent media and we rely on your contributions. Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire Donations: aroundtheempire.com.

FOLLOW @aroundtheempire. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, YouTube, Facebook.

This discussion was recorded in two sessions: August 24 and 31, 2018. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Reference Links:

  1. President Trump’s Claims of No Collusion are Hogwash, New York Times, John Brennan
  2. William H. McRaven: Revoke my security clearance, too, Mr. President, Washington Post
  3. Scores of ex-spies join in rebuking Trump over security clearances, Politico
  4. The Seven Deadly Sins of John Brennan, Micah Zenko, Foreign Policy
  5. Confront and Conceal (book), David Sanger
  6. Gates to National Security Team on Osama Raid: 'Shut the F--- Up', Daniel Halper, Weekly Standard
  7. Exclusive: Did White House "spin" tip a covert op?, Mark Hosenball, Reuters
  8. Who Bombed Khobar Towers? Anatomy of a Crooked Terrorism Investigation, Gareth Porter, Truthout
  9. Brennan-led secret raids may have led to Benghazi retaliation, book claims, FoxNews
  10. The media are misleading the public on Syria, Stephen Kinzer, Boston Globe
  11. US Special Forces sabotage White House policy gone disastrously wrong with covert ops in Syria, SOFREP, Jack Murphy
  12. Secret Kill List Tests Obama’s Principles New York Times, Jo Becker, Scott Shane
  13. A Spymaster Steps Out of the Shadows, New York Times Magazine, Mattathias Schwartz


Sep 26, 2018

Friends of the show Kyle Anzalone and Will Porter join Joanne Leon for a special three-part series on the Rise and Fall of John Brennan, done in a roundtable format and released in three separate episodes in the coming week for our listeners or available in advance, in full for patrons.

Ep 60 The Rise and Fall of John Brennan Part 1

Kyle Anzalone is the host of the Foreign Policy Focus podcast and the editor-in-chief of ImmersionNews.com. He also writes the Daily News Roundup at Libertarian Institute.

Will Porter is a freelance journalist with a focus on US foreign policy and conflicts abroad. His work can be found at the Libertarian Institute, Antiwar.com and Consortium News

In American political life, few officials have weathered as many storms as former CIA director John Brennan. With a career marred by a virtually endless series of scandals, Brennan’s ability to maneuver himself within institutions of power has served him exceptionally well both inside and outside of government.

Brennan’s decades-long tenure at the CIA presents a microcosmic portrait of US foreign policy since the fall of the Soviet Union—a true exemplar of the American role in a “unipolar” world.

His name has become synonymous with torture, regime change, targeted assassinations, drones, spying, the arming of foreign militias and now, in the era of Trump, politicized intelligence.

But that may have finally come to an end. The recent revocation of Brennan’s security clearance could represent the final nail in a coffin that, until now, has simply refused to stay shut.

Join us in this 3 part series reviewing Brennan’s career at the CIA, the litany of scandals tied to his name, as well as what could come next for the retired intelligence officer.

Support Kyle at  https://www.patreon.com/ForeignPolicyFocus. Support Will at patreon.com/WKPJournalist.

We are independent media and we rely on your contributions. Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire Donations: aroundtheempire.com.

FOLLOW @aroundtheempire. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, YouTube, Facebook.

This discussion was recorded in two sessions: August 24 and 31, 2018.

Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Reference Links:

  1. President Trump’s Claims of No Collusion are Hogwash, New York Times, John Brennan
  2. William H. McRaven: Revoke my security clearance, too, Mr. President, Washington Post
  3. Scores of ex-spies join in rebuking Trump over security clearances, Politico
  4. The Seven Deadly Sins of John Brennan, Micah Zenko, Foreign Policy
  5. Confront and Conceal (book), David Sanger
  6. Gates to National Security Team on Osama Raid: 'Shut the F--- Up', Daniel Halper, Weekly Standard
  7. Exclusive: Did White House "spin" tip a covert op?, Mark Hosenball, Reuters
  8. Who Bombed Khobar Towers? Anatomy of a Crooked Terrorism Investigation, Gareth Porter, Truthout
  9. Brennan-led secret raids may have led to Benghazi retaliation, book claims, FoxNews
  10. The media are misleading the public on Syria, Stephen Kinzer, Boston Globe
  11. US Special Forces sabotage White House policy gone disastrously wrong with covert ops in Syria, SOFREP, Jack Murphy
  12. Secret Kill List Tests Obama’s Principles New York Times, Jo Becker, Scott Shane
  13. A Spymaster Steps Out of the Shadows, New York Times Magazine, Mattathias Schwartz

 

Sep 17, 2018

Elijah Magnier returns to the show for an update and insight on the political situation in Iraq where the prime minister selection process (also a proxy battle of sorts between the US and Iran) is still ongoing. See Around the Empire Episode 56 for our first conversation on this topic. We also talk about the stalled operation in Idlib and the power players involved.

Around the Empire Ep 68 Iraq Politics & Stalled Idlib Op in Syria feat Elijah Magnier

Elijah is a veteran war correspondent, a terrorism/counterterrorism analyst specializing in the Europe and the Middle East, especially Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Sudan and Libya. He recently left Iraq and is speaking to us today from Lebanon.

Follow Elijah at @ejmalrai and find his work at ejmagnier.com. Support him by using the Paypal link at the bottom of every page on his website.

We are independent media and we rely on your contributions. Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire Donations: aroundtheempire.com.

FOLLOW @aroundtheempire. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, YouTube, Facebook.

Recorded on September 14, 2018. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Reference Links:

  1. A Weak and Divided Iraq is Stumbling Towards an Unbalanced Future (6/8/18), Elijah Magnier
  2. The US Forces in Al-Tanf are Beleaguered on both the Syrian and Iraqi Sides. Tehran is Challenging Washington in Iraq Abadi is No Longer the Agreed Favourite Candidate (7/23/18), Elijah Magnier
  3. Which War for Mesopotamia? Iraq Must Choose Between Iran and the US (8/21/18) , Elijah Magnier
  4. Faleh Al-Fayyad is the Official Anti-US PM Candidate in Iraq, While the US is Trying to Hit Iran Below the Belt (8/31/18), Elijah Magnier
  5. The US Horse Fell at the First Jump in Iraq (9/4/18), Elijah Magnier
  6. The USA Oblivious to the Rise of a Resistance Movement in Response to Its Interference in Iraqi Elections (9/5/18), Elijah Magnier
  7. A Wake-Up Call to the US in Baghdad: Will Haidar Abadi Become the Mohammad Morsi of Iraq? (9/7/18), Elijah Magnier
  8. Haidar Abadi Has Fallen With the Burned Walls of the Iranian Consulate in Basra (9/10/18), Elijah Magnier
  9. The Liberation of Idlib: Turkey is in the Way, With Russia Slowing Down (9/14/18), Elijah Magnier
  10. Syria - The Rationale Behind The Delay Of Idleb's Liberation, Moon of Alabama
  11. Can Erdogan intimidate Assad into backing off Idlib?, Amberin Zaman, Al Monitor
  12. Turkey reinforces military in Syria's Idlib after ceasefire call fails”, Orhan Coskun, Reuters
  13. Turkish Strategy in Northern Syria Military Operations, Turkish-Backed Groups and Idlib Issue, SouthFront
  14. Notorious Terrorist Commander Eliminated By Syrian Troops In Idlib”, Muraselon/The Syria Reporters
Sep 4, 2018

Roving journalist Michael Tracey joins the show for a discussion about the McCain Holy Week, as he called it, and what it tells us about the state of the American empire.

Ep 67 Mourn McCain Mourn Empire feat Michael Tracey

Tracey is a journalist who has been published by numerous media organizations including The Young Turks, Rolling Stone, The New Republic, VICE, The Intercept. The Nation, Reason, American Conservative and New York Daily News.

FOLLOW @mtracey on Twitter and find his work on Medium and on his website.

We are independent media and we rely on your contributions. Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire Donations: aroundtheempire.com.

FOLLOW @aroundtheempire. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, YouTube, Facebook.

Recorded on September 2, 2018. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Reference Links:

  1. John McCain Was Not An Anecdote, Michael Tracey
  2. Funeral For A Dying Doctrine, Michael Tracey
  3. John McCain’s Funeral Was the Biggest Resistance Meeting Yet, Susan Glasser, The New Yorker
  4. Washington Mourns John McCain – And Its Own Demise Under Trump, Tim Alberta, Politico Magazine
  5. John McCain: The View from the Middle East, As’ad AbuKhalil, Consortium News
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